Photography by Liesa Cole

You can live a better life if your feet are wrapped in wholesomeness. That is the principle behind Zkano, a second-generation Alabama sock-maker founded by Fort Payne native Gina Locklear.

Locklear found a way to be true to her roots (her parents operate a sock manufacturing facility) and her belief system (natural, organic, good for the earth and for the feet) by creating her own company.

“I’d finally found a way to be involved in the family business that is incredibly near to my heart, while taking it in a completely new direction that reflects my passions of organic living and sustainability,” Locklear says.

Zkano makes socks from the highest quality certified-organic, ring-spun cotton, grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers. The company believes that makes their product more comfortable, more durable and better all around — for the environment, for their growers and knitters, and for the customer.

“Our socks are U.S.A.-made, sweatshop-free and finished without the use of harmful heavy-metal dyes,” Locklear says. “It is a return to better philosophies, better processes and better results. Zkano socks come to you with an ultimate promise to always feel soft, cushy and like absolute heaven on your feet.”